Chapter 7 Getting Closer

Today I am eight months and one week. Evan insists after this visit he will be coming every other day. Vincent agrees with him. Everyone around here acts as if I'm going to explode at any minute. Standing here admiring my belly in the mirror, I can't say I blame them. I can see every little movement the babies are making, and every movement hurts. I am exhausted. I am grouchy, and I can't get comfortable. Three more weeks I keep telling myself. I can do this. Oh, who am I kidding? I need some sleep. I laid down on the bed, desperately stuffing every pillow around me in a failing attempt to get comfortable. Vincent scooted in behind me, throwing pillows on the floor. He cradled me in his arms. "Shhhh babies, let mommy get some rest. Daddy is here." Instantly, they settled and within minutes I was sound asleep.

I awoke to a strange sensation. I sat up. Vincent was gone. I looked around and saw the sheets were soaking wet and it was getting dark. I panicked. Did my water just break? Of course it just broke. What the Hell was I thinking. Then it hit me. A pain worse than I had ever felt before rippling through my belly. I doubled over crouching and holding my babies tight. No, No, No. This can't be happening. It's too early. Evan just left several hours ago and JT and Tess would be little help to Vincent. A blood curdling scream escaped deep from within me. Vincent was at my side in seconds, Tess and JT following close behind. Vincent's eyes were gold and blue veins crept across his face. He knew what was happening. JT shook Vincent by the arm. "Hey man. Get it together. Catherine needs you as YOU right now." Tess rushed to my side stroking my hair trying to calm me down. I looked to Vincent with tears in my eyes, and his features returned to normal. He rushed to the bottom of the bed, opening my robe, and ripped off my panties. "Catherine baby, I need to check and see how dilated you are. Then JT is going to call Evan. Ok?"

I shook my head. I couldn't speak. The pain was too searing. As Vincent checked me, the pain was unbearable and I cried. Tess was hushing me and holding me. Vincent had a look of panic in his eyes. "JT, call Evan. NOW! Tell him to hurry." JT ran to phone Evan. I tried to remember my breathing. Oh to Hell with breathing. It wasn't helping. "Vincent. Tell me. What is it?"
"Catherine. It seems like you've been contracting all afternoon. You're nine centimeters and fully efaced. I don't think Evan's going to make it in time. Come on Tess. Help me get her to the birthing room."
They tried to move me and I screamed. "No! Vincent. Don't move me. It hurts too bad. Please."
He looked to Tess and instructed her on what to get from the room and bring back. She kissed me on the head. "Cat honey, I'll be right back." She ran out of the room. She was back within minutes with an armload of supplies that she threw on the bed next to Vincent. A deep groan escaped my throat and my body started shaking. "Tess, there's no way she's gonna make it until Evan gets here. Catherine, I need you to stop pushing." I was pushing? Was that what my body was doing? Whatever it was it gave me relief from the searing pain streaming through my belly, and I didn't want to stop. I could feel the pain deep in my groin. "Catherine! Damn it! Stop pushing. I need you to pant." One final grunting noise escaped me and I fell back on the pillows. "Vincent I can't. It hurts. Please. Please let me get them out." I pleaded with him. Vincent grabbed my hand. "Baby listen to me. If you push too hard or too fast, these babies will rip you open. Please. Just pant while your body does its job and I do mine. I have to try to stretch you while the baby is coming down." The next contraction hit me and I did my best to pant through it while Vincent poured oil on my core and stretched my opening to accommodate the baby. "Catherine, I can feel his head. You need to push gently baby." Those words came as such a relief and I bore down. Pushing far harder than he wanted me to. "Catherine. Easy. Little pushes. Please."
The burning at my opening was intense to say the least and I writhed in pain while he stretched it around the baby's head. I began to pant, hard. "Please Vincent. Let me push."
"Catherine I need you to keep panting while I turn him, then you can push. OK?"
I nodded and Tess rubbed my back. "I'm here Cat. I'm here."
Suddenly my body took over. I had no control anymore. I groaned and my whole body started to shake, bearing down with force. "Catherine, I can see his shoulder." My body shook harder. "Keep pushing baby." I looked down to see Vincent take the baby from my body and cut his lifeline. A high pitched wail filled the room. My baby. He was here. He looked healthy. Vincent placed him on my belly. "Baby B. Look in his eyes." My son stared at me with beautiful golden eyes. The picture perfect image of Vincent.

I could feel my body shaking again. Vincent looked to Tess. "Tess take the baby. Baby A is coming fast." Tess swept the baby from my belly and wrapped him up, laying him in the bassinet beside the bed. She was back at my side in moments. I could hear Vincent mumbling something about when did this baby find time to turn. "Catherine, I need you push with everything you have.. Tess, get behind her, help me open her hips. This baby is breech. I can hear his heart rate slowing down fast."
I went limp in Tess's arms. I had nothing left. "Catherine! PUSH!"
"Vincent I can't", I whimpered. "Catherine, I'm sorry. I have to or we're gonna lose the baby." I had no idea what he was talking about until I felt his hands inside my walls desperately trying to free the baby, burning, tearing, ripping my insides. A painful blood curdling scream escaped me. "I'm sorry." Vincent whispered. Finally, a blood covered baby was in his hands. He wasn't moving. He wasn't' breathing. "Oh my God. Please. Breathe baby. Please." I cried out as Vincent puffed little breaths into our son. Then I heard it, the beautiful sound of John Thomas's cry. Vincent laid him on my belly. "He's ok Catherine. He's ok."
The three of us had tears streaming down our faces. Vincent took careful time to stitch me up. "twenty one stitches." he mumbled. "I'm so sorry Catherine."
I looked at him. "Hey. You saved our son. I will heal. Ok?" He scooped Vincent Ryan up and brought him to me while Tess cleaned up John Thomas. The door opened. JT popped his head in. "Cat, you decent. Is it safe?"
"Yes JT. I'm decent, you coward." I laughed.
"Hey Cat, I figured with my squeamish stomach it was best if I hung out in the hallway till the coast was clear. The last thing you guys needed was me hitting the floor. By the way. Evan is on his way. Better late than never I suppose."
I called for JT to come sit beside of Vincent and I. Tess brought John Thomas over to Vincent. "JT, Vincent and I would like to introduce you to Vincent Ryan Keller and.. John Thomas Keller." JT's face lit up. "You're naming one of the babies after me?" He reached out and held one of the twins fingers, only to pull back. "Wow. What a grip. That baby must be Vincent Jr." We all giggled. Vincent tried to hand JT his name sake. "JT, would you like to hold him?"
"Oh no, no, no. Not yet man. Let's wait till he has a good, old fashioned bath first."

Vincent shook his head, and continued to hold his son, placing kisses all over his soft dark head of hair. Baby Vincent was nuzzling at my breast. Tess smirked. "Well he definitely takes after his daddy, Cat. I think he's hungry. So am I. I'm going to drag JT to the kitchen and we'll make some dinner for the adults. Seems like that one already knows where dinner is." She left the room dragging JT behind her. Vincent stroked my cheek. "I don't know what you intended Catherine, but did you want to try to nurse him?" I shook my head in agreement. Vincent held John Thomas in one arm and moved my robe aside with his free hand. I had no idea what I was doing, but I had watched my mother nurse Heather as a child and figured there couldn't be much to it. I captured my breast in on hand and lined up baby Vincent with the other. Immediately, he latched on and began to nurse. Wow that boy was strong. After several minutes of watching my son in awe, he was sound asleep. Vincent urged me to hand him over so he could pat his little back. I took John Thomas and placed him at my other breast. Not quite so easy. A little teasing and he finally opened his mouth to receive his dinner. His nursing not as powerful as his brother's, but just as greedy. His eyes focused on mine the entire time. Vincent couldn't take his eyes off of us. Muttering occasionally about how it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

A knock at the door and Evan strolled in. He was flushed, and had a look of panic across his face. It vanished when he saw John Thomas nursing intently, and a smile crept across his face.
"Vincent, I have to hand it to you. From the way Tess and JT explained, things got a little scary. But here they are. Safe and healthy. Although I still don't understand how on earth that little one flipped around so quick after the ultrasound this afternoon." He looked to me. "Cat, when that little one is done, do you mind if I check him out and weigh him? I'll do the baby Vincent is holding while he finishes."
I agreed and Vincent and Evan took off to weigh baby Vincent. When they returned, I had already patted the tiny burp from John Thomas. Vincent proceeded to tell me that his junior weighed 5 pounds 7 ounces and was 18 inches long, and was beyond healthy.
Evan returned with John Thomas several minutes later, proclaiming that he was just as healthy despite his entrance into the world, weighing in at 4 pounds 15 and a half ounces and was 17 and a half inches long. The men returned both babies to my arms, and Tess opened the door, with a plate of my favorite. Grilled Salmon and baby asparagus. Thank God. I was starving. Vincent and Evan took the babies so I could eat, and when I was done, they insisted I rest. I didn't want to rest I wanted to hold my babies. Vincent insisted, "Catherine, I promise. I will bring them back either when you wake, or when they get hungry." He just knew I would fight him on this and apparently had his little speech all planned out. There was no use in fighting him any further. I was exhausted, sore all over, and could barely hold my eyes open. Tess pulled the covers up over me. "Rest Cat. You deserve it." I closed my eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.